This easy Tuscan chicken is rich with chicken broth, heavy cream, and Parmesan cheese. The sauce is super creamy, and the spinach and tomatoes add delicious freshness. It’s simple to make in one pan and ready in just 30 minutes! Note: This recipe is one of those few exceptions on our site that has more than 10 ingredients. We try to keep things VERY easy around here, and limiting ingredients and time spent is one of our favorite ways. That being said, this recipe is too delicious to leave out of our recipe box! It’s an exception that is so flavorful and worth the extra ingredients if you have the time and resources to make it.
How to Store and Reheat
Store leftover easy Tuscan chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating on the stovetop or in the microwave in 30-second increments until warmed through.
How to Make Tuscan Chicken Step by Step
Cook the Chicken: Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts then season with ½ teaspoon of salt, ¼ teaspoon of pepper, and 1 teaspoon of dried oregano. Cook the chicken for 8 minutes per side. Once the chicken is cooked, remove from the skillet and set aside. Make the Sauce: Add 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter and 2 cups of chicken broth to the skillet, and cook over medium heat until the butter is melted. Whisk in 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour. The sauce will begin to thicken. Add 1 medium chopped yellow onion and 1 teaspoon of minced garlic, and cook for 1 minute. Then add 3 cups of baby spinach, 9 ounces of cherry tomatoes, and 1 teaspoon of lemon juice, and cook 1 more minute while the spinach begins to wilt. Add the Dairy: Stir in ½ cup of heavy cream and ½ cup of parmesan cheese. Simmer and Serve: Add cooked chicken back to the skillet and reduce the temperature to low. Simmer for 15 minutes. Serve over pasta, rice, or by itself!
title: “Tuscan Chicken Recipe” ShowToc: true date: “2024-11-06” author: “Lisette Ristau”
What’s in This Tuscan Chicken Recipe?
Chicken Breasts: Use boneless, skinless breasts and lightly pound them to an even thickness. Italian Seasoning: Adds an herbal flavor to both the chicken and the sauce. Salt + Pepper: Enhance the overall flavor of the dish. All-Purpose Flour: Helps to brown the chicken and thicken the sauce. Parmesan Cheese: Adds a salty and umami flavor to the chicken and the sauce. Butter: European-style butter contains extra fat. This helps the chicken brown without burning and enriches the sauce. Garlic: Minced fresh garlic adds an earthy flavor to the sauce. Sun-Dried Tomatoes: Add a wonderfully rich umami flavor to the sauce. Heavy Cream: Makes the sauce creamy and rich. Chicken Broth: Adds umami flavor to the sauce and helps create the perfect consistency. Baby Spinach: Wilts to create the perfect texture and flavor in the sauce.
Notes from the Test Kitchen
Scraping the bottom of the pan while making the sauce is one of my favorite ways to infuse extra flavor into the sauce with zero extra work. Put some elbow grease into it! This tip is brought to you by my Mom, and it’s one of my favorite kitchen lessons I learned from her. If you prefer dark meat, I also tested this recipe using chicken thighs. Watch the internal temperature closely, but it works well and is equally as delicious.
Variations
There are so many ways that I’ve customized this when making it for my family. Kale makes a great replacement for the spinach. It’s much heartier and will add more texture compared to the spinach. Artichoke hearts make a delicious addition. When making this for my husband, I love to toss them in. Drain and chop into bite-sized pieces. Mushrooms will have a similar texture to sun-dried tomatoes, so they are a good substitute (though of course, they taste different). I sometimes also add both.
Serving Suggestions
The creamy Parmesan sauce makes this perfect for serving along with pasta. Cook up some penne, spaghetti, or your favorite noodle, and top each plate with a chicken breast and plenty of sauce.
“I’ve made this several times and it’s always so good! I double the sauce and serve with linguine. I can’t get over how creamy and cheesy the sauce is. I usually leave out sun-dried tomatoes and use sliced mushrooms. I appreciate the way the instructions have the measurements written into them. So helpful!” – Samantha
“Made this last night, absolutely delicious! My husband and son raved about it! I made it exactly as written except I doubled the sauce, we like lots of sauce, and I served it over rice. This is a keeper, I love your recipes, thank you!” – Debbie You can also serve it with roasted mushrooms or some roasted garlic. Start with a chicken Caesar salad, or a bowl of Zuppa Toscana, and you’ll have a beautiful restaurant-style meal.
How to Make Tuscan Chicken Step by Step
Season the Chicken: Season each side of 4 large pounded chicken breasts with 1 teaspoon of Italian Seasoning and salt and pepper to taste. Dredge the Chicken: Combine 4 tablespoons of all-purpose flour and 3 tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese in a shallow bowl. Dredge each chicken breast in the flour mixture, coating both sides. Cook the Chicken: Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add in 2 tablespoons butter and stir/melt. Cook the chicken (in batches if necessary) for 4-5 minutes per side, or until it is fully cooked (165°F in the center and no longer pink) and browned on both sides. Remove from the skillet and place on a plate. Cover with foil. Sauté the Tomatoes: Wipe the skillet clean, and return the skillet to medium-high heat. Add the remaining ¼ of cup butter. Use a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the pan as the butter melts. The brown bits hold a lot of flavor, so no need to remove. Add the 4 cloves of minced garlic and 8.5 ounces of drained and rinsed sun-dried tomatoes and cook for 1-2 minutes or until fragrant. Whisk in 1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour and allow to thicken for approximately 1 minute. Add the Cream: Whisk in ½ cup of heavy cream, 1 cup of low-sodium chicken broth, ½ of Parmesan cheese, 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning, and ¼ teaspoon of black pepper. Stir to combine. Add the Spinach: Add 1 cup of baby spinach and reduce heat to simmer. Allow to cook until the sauce slightly thickens and the spinach wilts. Simmer the Chicken: Add the chicken back into the skillet and turn to coat in the sauce. Allow to continue to simmer until the chicken is heated through, 2-3 minutes. Garnish with fresh parsley.
How to Store and Reheat
Store leftover Tuscan chicken an airtight container and refrigerate within two hours of cooking. Cooked chicken will be safe in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat on the stovetop for best results. You can mix in some more heavy cream to freshen up the Parmesan sauce.
How to Freeze
Freeze Tuscan chicken in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
More Tuscan Chicken Recipes To Try
Crockpot Tuscan Chicken Crockpot Tuscan Chicken Soup
